Every year in the Spring and
Fall of the year, I receive phone calls from hunters, concerned
that their retriever may have hip dysplasia. When I inquire
about the circumstances regarding the problem - the story
usually goes something like this. We were out pheasant
hunting on the weekend and after just a short time, maybe
an hour, my dog lost control of his back legs and couldn’t
seem to stand up and was almost dragging his hind end.
When I ask about the temperature and the time of day, it
is usually late morning with temperatures in the seventies.
The dog is usually an excitable, aggressive hunter that
covers a lot of ground. There were no ditches or water
for the dog to jump in to cool off.The dog’s tongue
was very distended and he was panting rapidly.
The
hunters missed all the symptoms of over heating or hyperthermia
in the canine partner of the hunting team. By the time
the dog loses control in the hind quarters, he is very
close to death. Hip dysplasia is not a rapid onset condition.
It is usually characterized by the dog having difficulty
rising from a sleeping position and or a slightly abnormal
gate in the hind end that may become progressively more
pronounced over time. Sometimes hip dysplasia doesn’t
have any noticeable physical symptoms that we can see externally.
On the other hand hyperthermia or over heating occurs quickly
and usually during a period of exercise. It can occur as
quickly as in five to ten minutes, depending on the level
of activity and physical fitness of the dog. Other contributing
factors include air temperature and humidity level.
It is important to remember that everything that
you do, your dog is doing in an insulated fur coat.
In the Spring of the year, the dog’s
coat is especially heavy. The dog cannot adapt to the warmer Spring days.
It will take a month or so of warm weather for him to shed his winter
coat. The dog is also closer to the ground where the temperatures are
often warmer and the breeze less. Most dogs will cover three to ten times
the distance that you do when hunting. This is especially true in the
first hour in the field when the dog is excited and full of energy.
A hunting retriever will not stop hunting or retrieving the bumper when
he becomes dangerously hot. They do not reason that way. It is your job
to do the logical reasoning on their behalf. Dogs rarely collapse from
heat exhaustion in the middle of summer as anyone can figure out not
to throw the bumper a zillion times or take the dog jogging when the
temperature is eighty five degrees plus. Mostly over heating occurs in
the late Spring or early Fall when we are not thinking about the temperature.
It is important to learn the signs of hyperthermia in your dog and to
think smart to avoid the circumstances that contribute to it. Over heating
is a very dangerous condition for your dog and can become critical and
life threatening.
If your dog exhibits any of the signs of hyperthermia, stop hunting
immediately. Get the dog out of the sun and to water immediately. You
may have to
carry him. Immerse the dog as much as possible in the water. Roll the
dog’s body around in the water making sure to wet the belly as
the skin is exposed
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the most there. Remember, a retriever has a waterproof
coat. Make the dog stay down in the water until he has regained his composure,
the tongue is not overly distended and the rapid panting slowed. If you
have access to a water hose, turn the dog on it’s back and run
cool water on the dog’s belly until the dog appears to be fully
recovered. This may take twenty minutes to an hour or more.
If the dog does not appear to be fully recovered, take him to a veterinarian
as quickly as possible. He may need intravenous fluids, medication and
monitoring of his body temperature over an extended time period. Often
after severe over heating the dog will have difficulty regulating his
body temperature and the temperature may return to dangerously high levels
hours or days later.
Overheating is a preventable condition, yet is a common cause of death
for hundreds of dogs every year. The retrievers are the least heat tolerant
of all the sporting breeds. They are great cold water dogs but not the
best choice for dry upland conditions. When upland hunting or exercising
a retriever - think smart. Stay within a reasonable proximity to water
and watch the signs of over heating. When in doubt about the day, leave
the dog home until the normal weather pattern is wet and cooler.
| How
To Avoid Over Heating Your Retriever |
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Select a hunting club or field to hunt with ditches
or ponds where your retriever can periodically cool off and drink.
If there is no water in the area, wait until winter when the
ground cover is wet and the temperature much colder. Carry water
with you for the dog to drink periodically if there is none in
the area. Even this may not be enough to cool the dog. |
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Know your dog. Is he a fast dog that does a lot of running
and is more susceptible to over heating If so you may have to
stop often to rest and settle the dog. |
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Watch the dog’s tongue. The tongue
will become swollen and long when the dog is hot. A dog’s
system is air cooled via the rapid intake and outlet of air by
panting. Dog’s tongues are always overly distended when
they are hot. |
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Beware of humidity as well as air temperature. The higher the
humidity, the less efficient the dog’s cooling system works.
Seventy degrees can be hot for a dog and they will overheat much
qui ckeron humid days. |
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Watch the dog’s gate while hunting. If the dog stagers,
appears to lose power or drag his hind quarters - he is in trouble.
Stop and take the dog to water immediately. |
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Get the weather forecast and only hunt or exercise the dog
very early in the morning on warm days. If you don’t need
a jacket, it is probably too hot to hunt your dog. |
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Always crate your dog when you transport
him in a vehicle. Then when you are parked, you can leave all
the windows and other means of ventilation fully open without
the danger of the dog escaping. |
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